I want to join IRO. What do I need to do?

Joining IRO is really easy. All you really need to do is love animals and get involved: try to help those in need. There are no fees or membership dues. If you're in the Metro Cebu area just show up at our general meetings, or attend our events and look for the IRO booth, stop by and introduce yourself. If you have a Facebook account, you can "like" our page there and request to be added to our members' group.

IRO needs volunteers on many levels and in many areas. Lots of people want to rescue dogs and cats, and that's great. But there are what we like to call the Three Rs of animal rescuing: Rescue, Rehabilitate and Rehome. We need volunteers to help with rehabilitation of rescued animals: things like giving medicines, baths, walking them to get them used to a leash, and just petting and socializing them to get them to be friendlier and used to people and other animals. We also need help with rehoming: consider becoming a foster "parent"; help put the word out about available pets amongst your friends, relatives, coworkers and batchmates; try to locate other potential foster homes. Foster homes are only temporary, to get the animal out of its cage and into a home setting, and give us more time to find its best match with a potential guardian for life while freeing up cages for more rescues. They are also places where basic obedience training, housebreaking if needed, and socialization occur. Many times the foster home will be the first house that a dog or cat has ever lived in, so much patience and love is required to turn a fostered ward into a happy, well-adjusted, highly adoptable companion animal. You can also help with trying to locate good, loving, forever homes for our available pets.

We also need people to interact with the media and write press releases; help at fund-raisers and events (even if it's just setting up furniture and cleaning up afterward); general cleaning at our temporary rescue center in Consolacion, plus things like walking the dogs there, taking their pictures, temperament testing, naming unnamed animals, getting them ready for adoption; you can contact pet food suppliers and ask for donations of dog and cat food (even food that's near the expiration date will do: we go through it pretty fast, so it won't spoil and the merchant would otherwise just dispose of it anyway). We could also use help with even mundane things like writing the minutes of meetings, or providing transportation or snacks. Chances are that you have a skill that we need, and whatever you do you're (indirectly or directly) helping animals.

Not in Metro Cebu? Don't worry, you can still join IRO and help animals. There are many ways that you can do so: buy sacks of dry dog and cat food along with some canned food, and start feeding the hungry dogs and cats in your neighborhood. Ask your nearest city or provincial dog pound if you can volunteer there: whether it's to help clean cages, walk dogs, answer phones, or just take pictures of the animals and try to find them homes. Report cases of animal abuse or neglect to the police. Talk to your friends and neighbors about tethering their dogs rather than tying them, and the importance of proper nutrition (i.e. dog or cat food rather than table scraps only) to combat diseases and mange, fresh drinking water and shelter from the sun and rain. Talk to your barangay captain and explain about the Animal Welfare Act and why it's important that it be enforced. Also don't forget, we also have chapters in Aklan, Panay and in Catbalogan, Samar that could use your help. Or consider starting your own chapter and rescue center in your area!

You can help IRO and the animals in many ways. All it takes is to get involved. Thank you.